Electrical system of distribution and regulating apparatus therefor.



M M Wm-+ J. W. JEPSON.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF DIST RSBUTION AND 'REGULATING APPARATUS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9A 1908.

Patented July 1?, 1917.

@Vbtmwd aZZc. a/k

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTION AND REGULATING APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Application filed March 9, 1908. Serial in. 419,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. JnrsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, New York, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Systems of Distribution and Regulating Apparatus Therefor; and in order that those skilled in the art may understand, make, and use my invention I give the following specification thereof.

My invention relates to electrical systems of distribution, and automatic regulating apparatus therefor, and, in the following description and illustration, is shown applicable to lighting circuits, although, as will be readily understood, it is capable of use in connection with circuits for other translating devices. One particular use to which I have contemplated applying my invention is as a voltage regulator for service on lamp circuits on railway cars. One object of the invention is to provide automatically operating apparatus for maintaining a constant potential on the work or load circuit and to maintain said potential constant irrespective of variations in the load or variations of the potential of the generator or battery. A further object is to provide an apparatus which shall perform its functions with a minimum of attention and under the conditions of service such as exist in the lighting of railway cars.

Various other objects, advantages and features will more clearly appear from the detailed description given below.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification I have illustrated diagrammatically a form of my invention applied to a lamp circuit.

In said drawing,

Figure 1 represents a lighting system having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 illustrates a modified form of an element of said system.

Referring to the drawing, the battery is represented by B, which is connected to the lamp circuit L L, having lamps or translating devices W connected across the same. In series between the battery and the lamp circuit is arranged a variable resistance R which consists conveniently of a variable carbon pile resistance in the form of juxtaposed carbon disks or plates 0, c, the resistance of which is varied in accordance with the pressure bearing upon said UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. JEPSON, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1'7, 1917.

disks, which pressure is produced by means of an arm A pivoted at X, one end of which bears upon the carbon pile and the other end of-which is connected with the core K having a solenoid S and also preferably a solenoid S acting on the core. Solenoid S is in series With the lamps and solenoid S is a potential winding across the terminals of battery B. Core K is common to both solenoids and said solenoids are opposed one to the other, the solenoid S tending to retract the core downwardly, in the arrangement shown in the drawing, and solenoid S tending to retract the core upwardly.

An auxiliary or additional regulating means is shown, consisting of a potential coil P across the lamp circuit, coil 1? acting as a solenoid upon a core F, connected with a lever G, pivoted at D and having its other end bearing upon a carbon pile in series with the solenoid o1 magnet S which carbon pile N is of a construction and arrangement similar to the carbon pile forming the variable resistance R.

The invention operates in the following manner:

Upon rise of voltage across the battery B, which rise, is consequent upon charging the battery by any suitable source of E. M. E, coil S receives increased excitation owing to the rise in battery voltage. This increased excitation acts to disturb the equilibrium, causing the core K to move upwardly, thereby relieving the pressure of the arm A upon the carbon pile resistance R and thereby increasing the resistance'be tween the battery and the lamp circuit. The current in coil S will vary with the load on the lamp circuit. If more lamps be switched in circuit, coil S receives increased excitation and tends to pull the core K downwardly, thereby increasing pressure upon the carbon pile resistance R, reducing the resistance in the lamp circuit and permitting the battery to supply additional lamps and counteract the tendency of the lamps to drop in voltage due to increase of load in the lam circuit, and any lessened excitation of coi S due to drop in battery voltage will have a tendency to permit the core K to move downwardly, thereby decreasing the resistance at R. If the load on the lamp circuit be diminished by the switching out of a. number of lamps, coil S will be affected and core K will have a tendency to move upwardly, tending to increase the resistance in the carbon pile. As a further means of regulation, the coil P which is responsive to the potential in the lamp circuit will, upon a tendency of the potential of the lamp circuit to rise, cause the core F to be moved downwardly, actuating arm G and decreasing the resistance at N, which inturn afiectscoil S across-the battery, causing it to receive greater excitation and to increase the resistance in "the lamp circuit, thereby counteracting the tendency of the lamp circuit potential to rise. Similarly, upon tendency of thelamp circuit potential to drop, core F tends to move upwardly, thereby increasing the resistance of N in series with coil S and said coil has then a diminished excitation,"thereby lessening resistance at R and permitting the voltage in thelamp ei'rcuitto rise and counteract any tendency thereof'to drop. It will be understood that arms or levers A and G respectively are adjusted by adjusting springs S T with r'especttonormal conditions in the circuit to cause'said arms to exert the proper amount of pressure upon their respective carbon piles to give the proper amount of resistance in the respective circuits required under normal'conditions, and that when these normal conditions are disturbed by changes in the load circuit or in the source of E. M. F.,"said springs S and T will restore theiri'espec tire arms or levers to normal'positionupon return of conditions inthe circuit to normal.

It will be seen from theabove invention that the voltage upon the lamp circuit is automatically maintained constant, irrespective of changes either in' battery voltage or in lamp voltage. The addition offt'he coil P and the resistance N in conjunction with the coils S S and the variable resistance R permits of very line regulation.

In the modification shown in Fig.2 the coil S is wound about the same core as the coil S and the two coils are made to oppose one another by oppositely winding or connecting them. This modifieationtherefo're operates in much the same manner as already described in connection with 'Fig. 1.

lVh-at I claim is:

1. The combination of supply and lighting circuits and regulating apparatus therefor having in combination a variable resistance in series between said lighting circuit and the supply circuit, means responsive to the potential of the supply circuitand'responsive to the load on said lighting circuit for varying said resistance, and means responsive to the potential of the lighting circuit for controlling said first named resistance varying means.

2. In an electrical system of distribution, a source of variable electromotive force, a work circuit l ed thereby, a device for regulating the voltage applied to said work circuit, a coil for acting upon said device responsive to fluctuations in the work circuit current, a coil aeting upon said device responsive to variations in the voltage of said source, a variable resistance for varying-the action of said last mentioned coil and a -coil responsive=-to fluctuations in work circuit voltage for varying the action of said resistance to further vary the action of said device.

3. In 'an electrical system of distribution, a source of variable electromotive force, a

work circuit fed thereby, a variable 'resistance in "series with the work circuit for varying the voltage applied thereto, mechanical means for "controlling said resistance, a 'coil 'foraeting upon said meansresponsive-to currentfluctuations in said'work circuit, a coil acting upon said means responsive to voltagevari'ation's of said source, and -a coil for :varying the action of said last "mentioned coil responsive to voltage variations across said 'work'circuit.

4. Regulating apparatus for work circuits having "incombination 'a carbon pile resistance :in series with *the work circuit, a movable arm for exerting pressure on said 'carbonpileior varying its resistance, a coil responsive "tothe potential of the feeding current "for-operating said arm-to increase 'the resistance of the pile, and a coil re- "sponsive" to the'potential of the work current for' nagnifyingthe operation of said first 'mentioned coil and resistance.

5. Regulating apparatus for'work or lamp "circuits having in combination'a carbon pile resistance in series with-the work circuit, movable armfor exerting pressure on said cai'bonfpile for varying its resistance, a coil responsive to thepotential of the feeding current fo'r operating said armto increase its resistance, a 'coil'responsive to the cur.

rent through said resistance for operating said arm for decreasing said'resistance, and

1 means responsive to increases in the potential of the lamp circuit'for controlling said first mentioned 'coil 'to increase saidresi's'tance.

6. In an electrical system of distribution, a source of electromotiveforce, awork cir- "cuit fed'thereby, a carbon pile resistance for varying the voltage applied to the work cir 'cnit, means responsive to variations of work work circuit current for acting upon said resistance, means responsive to fluctuations of Voltage of said source for also acting upon said resistance, a carbon pile resistance for varying the action of said last mentioned means and a coil for varying the action of said last mentioned resistance responsive to voltage fluctuations of the work circuit.

8. Regulating apparatus for Work circuits having in combination a resistance in series with the work circuit, a coil responsive to the'potential of the feeding current for opcrating to increase the resistance, and a coil responsive to the potential of the work currentfor magnify ng the operation of said first mentioned coil and resistance.

9. The combination of a source of electroinotive :lorce, a work circuit connected thereto, a regulating device for said Work circuit, the action of which is varied by the pressure exerted 1 thereon, electromagnetic means for exerting pressure thereon, electromagnetic means for decreasing said pressu and autoigratic means for controlling the effect said si-acond electromagnetic means have upon the regulating device.

10. A regulating system comprising a generator, and a work circuit, a regulating de vice for said work circuit, the action of which is varied by pressure exerted thereon, eieotromagnetic means for exerting pressure thereon, electromagnetic means for decreasing: said pressuraand automatic means for go erning the operation of said second means.

11. A regulating system comprising a generator and a work circuit, a regulating deice for said circuit, the action of which is altered by variations in pressure thereon, electromagnetic means for exerting pressure thereon, electromagnetic means modifying said pressure, and automatic means for controllin said modifying means.

12. g regulating system comprehending a generator and a Work circuit, a regulating device for said work circuit, the action of which is altered by variations in pressure thereon, electromagnetic inc-ans for exert-- ing pressure thereon, electromagnetic means tending to decrease said pressure, and automatic means for governing one of said electromagnetic means.

13. A regulating system comprising a generator and a work circuit, a regulating de vice for the work circuit comprising an element the effect of which is altered by variations in pressure thereupon, means for regulating said pressure, comprehending a plurality of windings, and automatic means for determining the current in one of said windings.

JOHN "W. J'EPSON.

Witnesses GEORGE R. Bacon's, Henna C. WORKMA v.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 1.233, i7 l, granted July 17. 1917,

upon the applioatinn M John W. jepson. nf New York, N. Y., for an improvement in Electrical Systems uf Distri'hutiun and Keguhtting Appamlus 'lhex'efur, wuu;

s erroneously issued to the IIWHILUI, mud Jnpsun, whereas mud Let-tors Patent should have been issued Ln r'hmlrl (rm Mr u-u nmy, a; cor' omti-uu of New York, will r'mparatt'on being owmr, by wwwassignments, of tlu (m-L1? interestin said Envontion as shown by thereeord vi assigmnum-s in this offiP-e; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with bhie eon-cation therein that the sume may conform to the reeer'd oi the ease in the Patent Ofliee.

Signed and sealed this 2a day of October, A. 1)., 1911.

l. W. H. OLA Y,

Acting Commissiemer of Patents. 

